Tag: a place to call home

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review:

A Place to Call Home is the heartwarming and inspiring story of an abandoned white German shepherd puppy named Toby and his cross-country search for a forever home.Narrated in part by the animal characters in the book, the reader experiences Toby’s world through his eyes and those of the animals he meets on his journey.

Toby’s life begins on a farm where the carefree, happy days he has known come to an abrupt end when his breeder decides to “dispose” of him and his sister Tara because of the color of their fur. With the help of a kind farmhand, the two puppies escape unharmed.

After a tumultuous time during which Toby is shuffled from place to place, he is finally adopted, but he quickly realizes his new family has deep-seated issues that put him in danger, and what seemed like an ideal home, turns into another place he must escape from.

As Toby struggles to find a forever home where he can feel safe and secure, he experiences some painful losses, but he also makes new friends–friends who will help him to trust humans again and teach him the power of love.

Inspired by a true story, this middle grade/young adult novel can be enjoyed by dog lovers of all ages.

* courtesy of Amazon.com

Featured Review

As a dog rescuer myself I was happy to get my hands on “A Place to Call Home” by G.A. Whitmore. We rescued Peggy, a mixed Belgian shepherd breed from the shelter almost seven years ago and now can’t imagine life without her. Toby is white German Shepard was abandoned with his sister on the road due his white fur by the breeder, a farmer who thought no one would buy them. After the two puppies are rescued, and their new situation seemed to promise a loving home for them, Toby’s tragic adventure begins. This heart wrenching story made me imagine my own dog’s past and wonder what type of cruel situations she had to endure before we found her. Many of us dog rescuers fall in love with them and try not to think about all the cruelty these puppies have been subjected to previously. They are so loving to us that it is hard to imagine anyone could be capable of hurting them. This book will take the reader through the worst of mankind as it recounts the abuse Toby experienced.

“A Place to Call Home: Toby’s Tale” by G.A. Whitmore is the first of the series which promises to be heartwarming tales of rescued dogs. Toby’s tale was inspired by the author’s own dog. Her love for him and dogs in general is evident in her writing. It is apparent through her writing that this is her first book, the flow was not quite there and it felt to me a little repetitive. I am sure that as she gains more experience she will be able to edit out unneeded wording which will help the flow a lot, from dialogue to narration and one scene to the next. Nevertheless, this is a great story and a much needed series as the amount of abused dogs in the shelters are testament to the need for loving homes.

“A Place to Call Home: Toby’s Tale” by G.A. Whitmore is a heartwarming story that will touch dog lovers and even people without pets. Hopefully, their hearts will open up enough to make room for a shelter dog, as they read this book.

Other Reviews

I Enjoyed This Book

I saw an ad for this book in my Story Monsters Ink Magazine. I was intrigued because it won the Purple Dragonfly Book Award and the author donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book to an organization that helps protect dogs. I read it in about a week and found it to be very enjoyable. The author’s love of dogs is apparent throughout the story and the book reminds us of the horrors some of these poor animals live through. I loved her beautiful imagery and think this would be an excellent gift for dog lovers. Not sure I’d give it to someone under the age of 14 or so though. A few parts might upset younger readers. It is a story of second chances and ultimately, one of love.

This was a thoroughly delightful and enjoyable read, one that moved me to both smiles and tears. Written for young adults, it balances well the scenes in which the dogs talk to one another and other more gritty and dramatic human scenes which explained the hardships this rescue dog went through and perhaps why. Even as it engages with Toby’s joys and travels, it sends an important message about the responsibilities of dog ownership and how they look to us for much more than food, water and shelter. Loving a dog is a responsibility and it’s a great joy. The organizations that save and the people who adopt, make a tremendous difference to many small creatures who hurt. The writer skillfully and engagingly sends that powerful and beautiful message with Toby’s story.. – LB Johnson – Author of “The Book of Barkley – Life and Love Through the Eyes of a Labrador Retriever”.

The story of a dog family told from the canine point of view. Unique & Excellent!

This is a wonderful, sweet and engaging book about a dog finding a forever home and his relationship with a young boy and family. It is broken up into several sections, with the story of the pups mother and grandmother on a farm and how this pup ended up being part of a family. I particularly loved how all the perspectives are from each dog’s point of view, which is something I’ve never seen before. And my favorite section was the story of the grandmother dog and her adventures on the farm – I don’t want to give anything away so I’m not going g to say anything more about it, but it was captivating and charming and really a unique story.

This would be a great book for any animal lover. The themes focus around rescues and how even a dog that is abandoned deserves a chance to be loved and love in return. The descriptions from the dogs point of views make for an interesting, unique story and I highly recommend it.